From all of us at Luxury Lodges of Australia, we hope you are safe, and finding time to nurture yourselves and your people. I try never to take for granted what a privilege it is to work in our wonderful world of travel.  This recent time of restricted movement has prompted many of us to think about what we value… Our freedom, our health, the need for connection with nature, our human connections, and, for those of us who love to travel and experience many different things, to think about what we really value in travel. And that freedom to travel really is a privilege, not a right.

So while there is still so much uncertainty across many parts of the world, in Australia, we are seeing the first signs that we will be able to return to work, to interact, to travel.

The lodges are deep into planning, and to use a very Australian metaphor around surfing, it does feel like we have struggled to get ‘out back’ in a very heavy swell, and have been waiting there, wondering if the surf is just too dangerous, for a while. But we are now poised, waiting for the first catch-able wave. We hope it is the first one we see forming, but if not, there is a full set swelling in the distance. 

The question so many are asking is what will really change as we emerge? I haven’t found the crystal ball shop yet. And while I hope there is change, especially in desire and action for more positive impact broadly in all aspects of travel, life and lifestyle, there are some things that won’t change.

These are things that have always been the core DNA of a Luxury Lodge of Australia …

• The lodge locations, all ‘wow’, all regional, all with a compelling reason to come and ‘do’ something.
• The lodges, all catering for relatively few people at a time, all deeply connected with nature, culture and community.
• All the soft luxuries – eat well, drink well, sleep well… Australian style.
• Diverse experiences, and proactive delivery of experiences to tap into the essence of place.
• Genuine, personal Australian ‘intuitive’ service.
• And especially, that feeling of privilege of place that comes with exclusivity of access to our people, place, produce, knowledge, craft and experience.

Often described as ‘an experience within an experience’, each Luxury Lodge of Australia is so much more than just a place to stay. The real value of travel with the Luxury Lodges of Australia is in the rich Australian-ness of the experience. The Luxury Lodges of Australia website is a central resource for news, information, itinerary inspiration and many tools to assist with planning travel including extensive information on experiences and activities, seasonality, how to get there, and especially ‘what will I do there?’. It is also a central point of reference for dates and contacts as the lodges reopen for bookings and guests. This process of reopening will happen over a period of time, from as early as June, but for some, several months down the track, due to seasonal and air access complexity. But the wait will be worth it.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

Warm regards,

Penny Rafferty
Executive Officer
Luxury Lodges of Australia